A/N: So much for only updating two stories of mine! This is the second new story I've posted in a week! Well, I've recently become engrossed in G/H fanfics. (That's George/Hermione) I decided that I wanted to write one too!

When I started writing this, it was only going to be a couple chapters long, but I thought of a great idea, and I decided to make it into a really long fic. Hope you like it. This first chapter's a bit depressing.

Summary: Lavender and Parvati want to set Hermione up with George Weasley, but they had no idea what George was hiding. Hermione persuades George to tell her his secret, but will she regret it? G/H romance!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters, names, places etc. that are mentioned and do not intend to gain anything at all from writing this other than self-satisfaction.

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"Hermione, please come over here for a moment," Lavender beckoned Hermione to the couch where she and Parvati were sitting. Hermione sighed. This couldn't be good.

"We've been thinking," said Parvati. "Everyone in the fifth year is dating someone."

Hermione groaned. So this is what they wanted: to set her up with someone.

"Harry has Ginny, Seamus has me, Dean has a Ravenclaw girl named Bridget, Neville has that Hufflepuff, Susan, Ron has Parvati-"

"I get it," Hermione interrupted. "I'm the only single person in our year. Now save me some time and tell me who you want to set me up with, I'll tell you no, and we can all get on with our lives."

"Won't you even give him a chance?" Parvati asked.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"You two would be perfect together. Aren't you just a little curious?"

"Yes, I'm curious, but I don't really care. I don't want a relationship right now. I just broke up with Victor."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. I'm sorry Hermione, we shouldn't have bothered you," Lavender said. The two girls turned their backs on Hermione.

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me?" Hermione asked.

"I thought you weren't interested," said Lavender slyly.

"That can't stop me from being curious," Hermione said.

"Fine. We thought you be great with George Weasley. Now would be great time to make your move, too, since he just broke up with Angelina. You could catch him on the rebound!" Parvati said excitedly.

"George? He's nothing like me! We have nothing in common."

"Well, they don't say 'opposites attract' for nothing. C'mon Hermione, give it a shot."

"No."

"Please?"

"No. Isn't this conversation becoming repetitive? I'm going to bed." Hermione turned and went up the steps to her dormitory, but she couldn't hide the redness in her face.

Hermione plopped down on her bed and pulled out The New Edition of Hogwarts, A History. She glanced at her clock after only ten minutes and realized that it was only seven. Now she felt really stupid. She decided to try to get some sleep anyway.

***

Hermione had only been sleeping for a couple hours before she woke again. She wouldn't be able to get back to sleep again until at least one. Stupid Parvati and Lavender. What did they know, anyway?

Hermione decided to see if anyone was still in the common room after checking that Lavender and Parvati were safely in their beds.

As Hermione neared the bottom of the stairs, she saw the outline of someone crouched over, their head in their hands, sitting on the couch in front of the fire.

"Um, excuse me? Are you alright?" Hermione asked tentatively.

The person sat up suddenly at the sound of someone's voice. Hermione still couldn't make out who it was.

The person sniffed as if they had just been crying. "I'm fine. Why don't you go back to bed, Hermione."

"You are not fine, and I'm not tired. I still don't know who you are, and I won't leave until I've found out."

"You'll be here for a good while, then, I'm afraid." The person sniffed again, furiously trying to wipe his eyes.

Hermione grabbed a tissue from a nearby table and sat down on the couch next to the person.

"Here," she said softly, handing him the tissue.

"Thanks," he replied, still not facing her. "You know, it's been a while since I stayed up in front of the fire crying like this."

"You've done this before?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. Sometimes I just get so frustrated that I lose control."

"I know how that feels. People always expect so much of me, just because I get good grades," Hermione told him. "If everyone would just study, they'd do just as good."

"A lot of people don't know that I got the top marks for my year on the O.W.L.'s in fifth year. And they don't know there's a whole other side of me."

"Well, now I do. Now let me get to see the side that most people see," Hermione told him.

The person sitting next to Hermione turned around and faced her, and Hermione was more shocked than she's ever been in her whole life. Here she was sitting next to a tear-streaked George.

"Hey, look Hermione, just go on up to bed. I'll be fine," George said.

"No, you'll just start crying again, I know you will. I don't like seeing you depressed," Hermione told him.

"Please, Hermione, just go to bed. I don't want you to see me like this. I need to deal with something on my own."

"No!" There was a tone of finality in her voice, so George stopped arguing. "Either you tell me what's bugging you, or we'll be sitting here all night." Hermione took George's hand in hers. "I promise I won't tell anyone. You can trust me." Hermione looked deeply into George's eyes and saw him differently for the first time. He wasn't just a fun-loving maniac who never gave a thought about his future. He really tried hard at everything and people needed to give him a break.

Without realizing it, Hermione started moving closer to George and closed her eyes as the two of them kissed each other.

"Hermione, please, I can't. There's something about me that no one knows. No one except Dumbledore and a few others, that is. Not even Fred knows. I can't do this. I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you my secret. Not now, anyhow." George said. Fresh tears started leaking out of his eyes.

"Please tell me George. I promise I won't freak out or anything," Hermione assured him. She started rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.

"I know your trustworthy and all, but this secret is bigger than anything you can imagine." George said. He looked at her and kissed her once more. This time, a little more passionately.

George sighed. "Okay, Hermione. I know you'll never leave me alone if I don't tell you so I guess you're going to find out. Please don't hate me."

"I'll love you no matter what, George." Hermione was as startled by what she said as George was.

"Okay, well it all started when..."

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A/N: Pretty interesting so far? Sorry to leave a cliffie!(Actually, I'm not sorry) Please R/R!

I'll be nice and post chapter 2 at the same time as chapter 1.